Tensioning apparatus and system for clamping joints

ABSTRACT

A new system and apparatus for detachably joining a first component to a second component is disclosed, along with a method for detachably joining two components. Embodiments of the present invention include a tensioning apparatus and system for clamping joints. The tensioning apparatus may include a wedge block and a fastening device. The clamping joint may be a tongue and groove joint that is tightened using the tensioning apparatus.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to interconnectionsystems and clamping joints for detachably joining a first component toa second component, and more specifically to a tongue and grooveclamping joint and tensioning system with wedge blocks for releasablyinterconnecting two components.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Previous attempts have been made to manufacture reliable interfaces forinterconnection and separation systems between two adjoining componentsexperiencing high loads and separation shocks. Such adjoining componentsmay be found in, for example, fluid pipe systems, machines, or vehicles,including aerospace systems such as launch vehicles, launch vehiclepayloads, and payload fairings.

A launch vehicle is used to launch a payload into orbit around the earthor toward a path outside of earth's orbit. The payload needs protectionfrom the atmosphere at launch because the high temperatures andpressures created may damage a sensitive payload. A fairing (alsoreferred to as a payload fairing or a launch vehicle adapter (“LVA”)fairing) is typically used to protect the payload or other portions ofthe upper stage before and during launch. A payload fairing surroundsthe payload in the nose portion of the launch vehicle and a LVA fairingtypically surrounds a portion of the spacecraft aft of the LVA or upperstage. The term “fairing” is used herein to reference all types offairings. The fairing is detachably mounted to the upper stage of thelaunch vehicle. Once the rocket leaves earth's atmosphere, the fairingis separated from the launch vehicle and discarded to eliminate weightand prepare for separation of the payload.

Generally, in spacecraft launch vehicles, separation bolts secure atleast the lower perimeter edge of a fairing to a separation ring,proximal to a horizontal separation plane, and may also interconnectedges of adjacent fairings, or the vertical separation plane(s). Theseparation bolts are spaced around the separation ring or on the edgesof the fairings along the vertical separation plane(s) and includecontrolled charges. At the appropriate time, the charges are detonatedto break the bolts and separate the fairings from the launch vehicleupper stage and/or from one another. However, shock waves and vibrationare generated by these controlled charges as well as by the physicalseparation of the component pieces and disseminate through the body ofthe spacecraft. Shock waves and vibration (i.e., dynamic environments)can damage the payload.

Prior art fairing interconnection and separation systems use a varietyof structures including a frangible joint at the base of the fairingring, separation bolts and hinges, or a tongue and groove joint toreduce fairing dynamic environment generation due to separation andpotentially reduce potential damage to the payload. Regarding suchtongue and groove joints, the tongue is generally formed on the innersurface of the fairing, skirt, or the payload attach fitting (“PAF”)base ring or the outer surface of a closeout plate and the groove istypically formed in a separation ring, a fairing forward ring, an aftring frame, the aft frame or between a tension cleat and othercomponent. Some prior art systems use what is known as a single-tapertongue and groove joint. An example of one such joint is illustrated inFIG. 1, which shows the interface between an aft ring frame and a 1575-4PAF as used with a Delta 4 launch vehicle. The exterior of the launchvehicle (also called outboard side of launch vehicle) is shown on theleft of FIG. 1 and the interior of the launch vehicle (also calledinboard side of launch vehicle) is shown on the right of FIG. 1. Here,the separation ring with the groove is part of the fairing/fairing aftring frame. As illustrated, the bottom surface of the groove and thebottom surface of the tongue are non-tapered (horizontally oriented asshown, such as in launch configuration) and the upper surface of thegroove and tongue are oriented at an angle relative to the horizontal.The upper surfaces of the groove and tongue are the tapered surfaces.During fairing separation, the non-tapered side of the tongue will dragalong the adjacent non-tapered side of the groove until the tongue fullyclears the groove. The continuing contact between the tongue and grooveprolongs and continues generation of separation dynamic environments. Asalso shown in FIG. 1, some prior art clamping joints use tension boltsto reduce the gap between one component (e.g., the tongue on the PAFbase ring) and the other component (e.g., the groove in the aft ringframe). Tension bolts are typically vertically oriented as shown, whenthe spacecraft is in launch configuration, and are used to reduce thegap distance between the tongue and the groove. Tension bolts are aprimary source of the payload fairing (“PLF”) separation shock. Tensionbolts also tend to gouge the PAF ring upon separation, which createsadditional vibrations.

Other systems have implemented a minimal dual-taper tongue and groovejoint, but the benefit of a minimal dual-taper is also relatively small.An example is illustrated in FIG. 2, where the joint is shown in theassembled position and the jettisoned (separated) position. The exteriorof the launch vehicle is shown on the left of FIG. 2 and the interior ofthe launch vehicle is shown on the right of FIG. 2. The joint comprisesa dual-tapered tongue 2 and a dual-taper groove 4, but the taper of theupper surfaces of the tongue 2 and groove 4 are nearly horizontal (atabout a 5 degree angle) and the tapers of the lower surfaces arerelatively horizontal (again, horizontal relative to the launchconfiguration). The groove 4 is formed on the interior surface of askirt or fairing (also called a payload fairing or PLF) 8 and is alsoformed by an adjustable tension cleat 10. The fairing 8 has an innerskin panel 12 that interfaces closely to the miniskirt 6 to minimize theradial gap between the fairing 8 and PAF ring. However, there is noshimming or radial adjustment between the faces of these parts; rather,adjacent parts are sized to maintain a close fit. The tongue 2 is formedon the PAF ring, which also includes a miniskirt (also called a verticalleg) 6. The PAF ring is part of the launch vehicle upper stage. Theminiskirt 6 is where the fairing 8 attaches. Here, the PAF ring isstationary and the fairing separation ring is jettisoned radially awayfrom the PAF ring. The angled or tapered surfaces of both the tongue 2and groove 4 will experience a growing or increasing separation distanceas the groove 4 separates laterally or radially from the tongue 2 (basedupon the orientation shown in FIG. 2). However, the benefit in terms ofreducing shock or vibration is de minimus given the modest angle of thetaper. At best, the minimal taper of the upper surfaces of the tongue 2and the groove 4 minimally reduces the likelihood of contact duringseparation and generation of shock, vibration events, and/or dynamicenvironments.

Alternative interconnection and separation systems may use a Marmanclamp band (also called a V-band clamp), which has a tongue and groovejoint with tapered interfaces that “grow toward” one another such thatno clearances exist between the tongue and groove when installed.Additionally, the flexible band and tensioning bolts used with theMarman clamp band require significant hoop preload, which increasesshock during separation. Marman clamps are described in Marman ClampSystem Design Guidelines, NASA Preferred Reliability Practices GuidelineNo. GDED-2214 (hereinafter, “NASA Guidelines”), which is incorporated byreference herein in its entirety. As noted in the NASA Guidelines,structural failure of Marman clamps are known to have occurred andextreme care is urged in designing such equipment.

Other disadvantages of the prior art structures, including the abovesystems, relate to accessibility and adjustability. The tensioningmechanisms of FIGS. 1 and 2 are located at the aft end of the aft ringand are generally accessible at that location. However, access isspecifically an issue when fairings utilize a tongue and grooveinterface at the forward end of the fairings because the forward fairingseparation ring is not accessible without internal fairing access. Alsospecial tools are often required with these prior art systems, whichcompound access problems and increase expense, in addition to increasedlabor costs. For example, referring again to FIG. 1, there are generallybetween 100 and 150 tension bolts used in such separation designs. Itcan also be difficult and time consuming to shim, tighten, or torque alarge number of tension bolts considering such activities require accessbetween the tension bolts and the PAF base ring and forward skirt.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a novel system, device, and method forproviding a detachable clamping joint used to interconnect and thenseparate two components. The novel apparatus and system allow twoportions of a spacecraft, or other vehicle, machine, or pipe, to beinterconnected at one point in time and subsequently disconnected atanother point in time such that the separation shock duringdisconnection is reduced compared to prior art systems.

Typically, fairings (also called fairing halves if two are used) aresecured to the launch vehicle at the horizontal separation planeparallel to the spacecraft separation plane and are secured to oneanother along a fairing vertical separation plane. Either or both ofthese connections may use separation bolts. In some embodiments, noseparation bolts are used, for example one launch vehicle uses twoseparation nuts and a thrusting separation rail. Because of heavy loadsexperienced by the fairings, the surfaces of the fairings between theseparation bolt fittings at the vertical separation plane preferablyhave a zero gap at installation. Without gap removal, this would createa condition where relative movement of the fairing during ascent islikely to cause a premature failure of the separation bolt or fasteningdevice due to large displacements across the separation plane that canbreak the bolt or fastening device.

Additionally, the separation ring is comprised of two halves and thesetwo halves are joined together at the vertical separation plane. A zerogap fit (in the vertical direction) between the separation ring halvesis recommended for strength purposes. The zero gap between theseparation ring halves thus requires clearances be designed into thetongue and groove interface to allow all of the parts to fit together,but nonetheless achieve the zero gap. These clearances also ensure thatthe tongue is always smaller than the groove such that the tongue canfit into the groove. Because every part is not perfectly machined, therewill be gaps or clearances between the tongue and the groove. These gapsor clearances cause the parts to rattle during take-off and duringflight. Accordingly, a wedge block tensioning system according toembodiments of the present invention was designed to remove or at leastsubstantially reduce the small gaps or clearances between the tongue andthe groove.

Spacecrafts are subjected to a broad range of potentially damagingenvironmental conditions during flight, including shock and vibration.Other than the launch itself, two significant sources of shock to thespacecraft payload occur during fairing separation and payloadseparation. Traditionally, a mechanical shock attenuation device, suchas a shock ring, is positioned between the fairing and the payloadattachment hardware. Although the shock rings employed in prior art werethought to reduce the shock to the payload, they actually offer littleto no benefit, are operationally fragile, are cumbersome to install, andadd weight to the launch vehicle. In addition, despite its attenuationcharacteristics, these shock attenuation devices retain a direct pathfor shock transmission to the launch vehicle, including the payload orspacecraft. Further, because modern spacecraft have morehighly-sensitive components than previous generations of spacecraft, itremains an objective to reduce shock and vibration resulting fromseparation events.

Thus, it is one aspect of embodiments of the present invention toprovide a clamping joint for interconnecting two components that reducesthe separation shock when the two components separate from one another.In one embodiment, the clamping joint includes a tensioning apparatus tosecurely interconnect the two components, namely, multiple fairings andthe launch vehicle. Additional embodiments include clamping joints forpayload fairings (“PLFs”) that are designed to reduce separation shockwhen the PLFs separate.

It is one aspect of embodiments of the present invention to provide aninterconnection mechanism that does not use vertically-oriented(relative to the launch configuration) tensioning bolts thatfrictionally engage the tongue (e.g., push on the tongue portion) toreduce the gap between the tongue and groove. As is shown in FIG. 1 anddescribed above, these tension bolts can be difficult to access whenused in other locations and gouge components during separation creatingadditional shock and vibration. As such, embodiments of the presentinvention do not have the access difficulties created by hard-to-get-totension bolts of the prior art and the separation shock/vibration isreduced because at least one source of separation shock and vibration(i.e., the tension bolts) is removed as compared to prior art designs.Further embodiments include a continuous tongue and groove interface, atleast on the forward surface, to minimize or eliminate gouging duringseparation, reduce shock, and reduce foreign object debris (“FOD”)generation.

Another aspect of various embodiments of the present invention is toprovide an interconnection system that does not require access to aninterior interface of the tongue and groove joint. Various embodimentsof the present interconnecting system include a dual-taper tongue andgroove joint with a plurality of discrete wedge blocks. In oneembodiment, the tongue and groove joint includes a plurality of wedgeblocks that are adjustably positioned from the exterior of the fairing.In a further embodiment, the head of a bolt fits into a slot in thewedge block and the bolt shaft extends outwardly through the fairing orseparation ring (also called a fairing forward ring herein) such thatthe bolt can be tightened or loosened from the exterior of the fairing.

Scraping and sliding between the tongue and groove interface is anothersource of separation shock. To reduce shock, a dual tapered tongue andgroove joint is preferred. Prior art designs of tapered or angled tongueand groove joints use low taper angles, typically less than 10 degrees,which do not appreciably reduce scraping and sliding, therebymaintaining shock generation at high levels. In one embodiment of thepresent invention, the groove forms a 30 degree opening along its lengthand has discrete sections spaced along the length of the groove, eachhaving a 15 degree opening. The angle of the tongue is also 30 degrees(e.g., in one embodiment, the upper surface of the tongue is at a 15degree angle and the lower surface of the tongue is at a 15 degree anglesuch that the two surfaces form a 30 degree angle). A 15 degree wedgeblock is inserted at each discrete section to create a 30 degree openingand accommodate the tongue's 30 degree angle. The wedge block combineswith the tongue to generally fill the groove of these discretelocations. By utilizing a wider angle for the groove, where neither ofthe surfaces is essentially horizontal relative to the launchconfiguration, upon separation of the tongue from the groove thelikelihood of recontact between the tongue and groove is meaningfullyreduced. In this manner the gap between both surfaces of the tongue andthe adjacent surfaces of the groove will grow or increase as the groovemoves laterally or radially away from the tongue. Thus, with littlelateral movement a significant gap is created that will increase in sizeupon further lateral separation. Accordingly, the tongue is releasedfrom the groove with little to no scraping, sliding, or additional shockor vibration. It should be appreciated that these angles are approximateand may vary. Generally speaking, the smaller the angle the more likelythe tongue will bind in the groove. However, a larger angle increasesnot only the thickness or height of the tongue and grove, but addsweight to the launch vehicle. In one embodiment, the angle of the grooveis between about 15 degrees and about 45 degrees. In a preferredembodiment, the angle of the groove is between about 25 degrees andabout 35 degrees. In a more preferred embodiment, the angle of thegroove is about 30 degrees. In one embodiment, the angle of the grooveat each discrete section is between about 5 degrees and about 40degrees. In a more preferred embodiment, the angle of the groove at eachdiscrete section is between about 10 degrees and about 25 degrees. Inthe most preferred embodiment, the angle of the groove at each discretesection is about 15 degrees.

Another source of vibration and shock in prior art systems is caused bythe tongue and groove clearances during ascent, but prior to separation,due to the fairing rattling and moving up and down and side to side.This rattling can also create an acoustic environment (i.e., “ringingthe bell”) by rattling and ringing the fairing skin panels. Accordingly,embodiments of the present invention reduce this vibration and shock byreducing and minimizing clearances in the tongue and groove joint.Additionally, joints with high preload experience high separation shockbecause during the release of the joint, the high strain on the items isreleased in the form of a shock. Further, low clearances normallycorrelate to high pre-load. Thus, it is one aspect of embodiments of thepresent invention to provide a tongue and groove joint with low radialand axial clearances between the tongue and the groove, whilemaintaining low to no preload within the tongue and groove the joint.Prior art joints or interconnection systems have limited to no abilityto remove the radial clearances between the tongue and the groove. Thus,it is one aspect of embodiments of the present invention to provide ajoint or interconnection system that can remove or reduce the radialclearance between the tongue and the groove. In various embodiments, atongue and groove clamping joint is provided that uses wedge blocks toremove radial clearances, in addition to axial clearances, between thetongue and the groove. In further embodiments, axial and radialclearances can be removed with one adjustment: adjustment of the wedgeblock relative to the tongue. The radial and axial clearances arereduced through the use of wedge blocks that have upper and lowersurfaces oriented at angles that compliment the tongue and groove taperangles.

In various embodiments, a detachable clamping joint is provided with atongue, a groove to receive the tongue, and wedge blocks that fit intocomplimentary-shaped pockets formed into the groove (also called thetongue groove herein) at spaced intervals. The wedge interfaces with thetongue on either the upper or lower surface of the tongue. The clampingjoint further includes means to reposition each wedge block relative tothe tongue. In a preferred embodiment, one end of a bolt isinterconnected to the wedge block and the opposite end of the boltextends through the fairing to the exterior of the spacecraft. In oneembodiment, the bolts are similar to HI-LOK™ pins. In alternativeembodiments, HI-LOK™ pins are used instead of bolts with washers andnuts because HI-LOK™ pins are commercially available parts that requireno additional design or manufacturing and often require less parts,making them lighter weight than bolts, washers, and nuts. A nut isthreaded onto the portion of the bolt on the exterior of the fairing.Adjustment of the bolt relative to the nut and fairing pulls the wedgeblock radially inward or outward within the wedge block pocket. The nutsare tightened against the fairing to keep the bolts and wedge blocks inposition. After the tongue is positioned in the groove, the nuts areheld stationary using a wrench and the bolts are rotated such that thehead of the bolt pushes the wedge radially inwardly toward the center ofthe launch vehicle and into contact with the tongue. In one embodiment,the end of the bolt is configured to receive a key or similar tool forthe purposes of rotating the bolt. Because the wedge block and tongueinterface along inclined or angled surfaces, radially inward movement ofthe wedge block reduces and ultimately eliminates any gap between thetongue and the groove at the location of the wedge block whilemaintaining a dual tapered interface. Once the wedge blocks are properlypositioned relative to the tongue, the nuts are tightened against thefairing to lock the radial position of the bolts and wedge blocks.

Further, the tolerances for dual-taper tongue and groove joints arehigher than the tolerances for single-taper tongue and groove joints orlower-angled dual-taper tongue and groove joints. This is because ofmanufacturability and geometry. Specifically, it is easier to machine aflat surface than it is to machine a part with two tapers, as dualtapered parts (i.e., the tongue and the groove) each have their owntolerances. In one embodiment, the tapered surfaces of the tongue andthe groove are dimensioned at a nominal line-to-line fit and are allowedto deviate away from that virtual condition. Furthermore, since bothsets of surfaces are tapered (meaning both surfaces of the partscreating the tongue and groove joint), these angles increase both radialand axial clearances simultaneously.

Another aspect of various embodiments of the present invention is toprovide a detachable clamping joint that is lightweight. Thus, in oneembodiment, the clamping joint includes wedge blocks that do not extendcontinuously around the entire circumference of the joint (which mayalso be the circumference of the launch vehicle in some embodiments),which reduces the weight of the joint. In additional or alternativeembodiments, the tongue portion does not extend continuously around theentire circumference of the joint, which also reduces the weight of thesystem. In various embodiments, the tongue around the perimeter of theplate has an arrowhead shape to further reduce the weight of the joint.In one embodiment, the tongue and groove system using wedge blocks onlyadds about two pounds to the fairing design, when the inside diameter ofthe fairing is about 180 inches.

One aspect of various embodiments is to provide a joint system that isrelatively simple and does not have complex parts or a complicatedcompilation of parts. For example, some prior art systems includeeccentric bushings for adjusting the height of the tongue or the groove.Embodiments of the present invention do not include eccentric bushings.Additionally, embodiments of the present invention include fewer partsthan prior art tongue and groove joints. For example, prior art tongueand groove joints used to interconnect spacecraft fairings typicallyused between about 100 and 150 tension bolts to position the tongue andreduce the clearance between the tongue and groove. Thus, the lowersurface of the tongue was in contact with the end of the bolt ratherthan the lower surface of the groove. Even though numerous tension boltsare used, this prior art design has little contact area between thetongue and the groove. In one specific prior art system, the contactarea is about 9 in², where the contact area is the contact between thebolt end and the tongue. In contrast, some embodiments of the presentinvention include only 24 wedges, which create about 10.6 in² of contactarea. Thus, significantly fewer wedge blocks are required to get thesame area as in prior art systems. Using only 24 wedges and 24corresponding bolts reduces the number of parts in the joint system andreduces the weight of the joint. Further, the parts of the presentsystem have simpler geometries and are easier to manufacture.

The present invention also includes methods of securing and tightening aclamping joint. In one embodiment of the present invention, a method ofsecuring and tightening a joint is provided comprising: providing aseparation ring with a dual-tapered tongue groove, a plurality of wedgeblock cutouts spaced along the tongue groove, and a bore formed throughthe separation ring at the location of each wedge block cutout; an equalnumber of wedge blocks as wedge block cutouts, each wedge block having abolt cutout in the upper portion of the wedge block; a custom bolt witha head on one end, a cylindrical body portion (sometimes called the“shank”), and a recess in the bolt's second end opposite the head; awasher; a nut; and a plate or an LVA ring with a tongue formed on aperimeter edge. Next, each bolt head is inserted into a bolt cutout in awedge block and the cylindrical body portion of each bolt is insertedinto each bore in the separation ring to position each wedge block intoeach wedge block cutout. A washer is positioned around the cylindricalbody portion of the bolt on the exterior of the fairing separation ring;a nut is positioned on the cylindrical body portion of the bolt; and thenut is tightened until the nut and the washer abut the outer surface ofthe separation ring and, preferably, each wedge block is located at theradially outward most position to provide clearance between the tongueand wedge blocks during the following installation. Next, the methodincludes inserting the tongue into the tongue groove such that a uppersurface of the tongue is resting on the upper surface of the tonguegroove and the separation rings are mated and secured by torquing aseparation bolt at the vertical separation plane; moving the wedge blockradially inwardly by holding the nut in a stationary position (possiblywith a wrench); inserting a tool (e.g., an Allen wrench or other wrench)into the recess of the bolt; turning the tool to turn the bolt relativeto the nut; as the bolt rotates, moving the bolt inwardly and pushingthe wedge block inwardly; frictionally securing the upper surface of thetongue against the upper surface of the tongue groove; providing radialpressure on the wedge block using the bolt; and providing radialpressure and an upward force on the tongue using the wedge block.Appropriate torquing values for the bolt may be selected to achieve thedesired pressures and forces.

For purposes of further disclosure, the following references generallyrelate to devices and systems to join or clamp together two componentsunder high loads and/or shock and are hereby incorporated by referencein their entireties:

U.S. Pat. No. 8,732,916 issued to Simons et al. on May 27, 2014, whichdiscloses detachably joining a first component and a second componentusing a tensioning device, a plurality of brackets, and a band clamp tocause a plurality of shoes to engage an abutting cylindrical flange ofeach of the first component and the second component;

U.S. Pat. No. 6,695,261 issued to Cleveland on Feb. 4, 2004, whichdiscloses a shock isolation system for spacecraft fairings that retainsclearances in the clamping joint and uses opposing magnets to levitatethe fairings during separation;

French Patent No. FR 2,619,738 to Dupin Gerard, entitled “Method forProducing a Separation in a Part with the Aid of a Pyrotechnic Casingwhich Can Expand,” discloses a method for producing separation along apredetermined line of a part used in the aerospace field. The methodfurther includes weakening devices formed from the part's material andformed along the separation line and a pyrotechnic casing positionedproximate to the weakening devices; and

U.S. Patent Publication No. 2004/0128934 to Hecht published on Jul. 8,2004.

For purposes of further disclosure, the following references, which aregenerally related to tongue and groove interconnections or joints, arehereby incorporated by reference in their entireties:

U.S. Pat. No. 986,439 issued to Camp on Mar. 14, 1911;

U.S. Pat. No. 1,375,111 issued to Schmidt on Apr. 19, 1921; and

U.S. Pat. No. 4,100,710 issued to Kowallik on Jul. 18, 1978.

The phrases “at least one,” “one or more,” and “and/or,” as used herein,are open-ended expressions that are both conjunctive and disjunctive inoperation. For example, each of the expressions “at least one of A, Band C,” “at least one of A, B, or C,” “one or more of A, B, and C,” “oneor more of A, B, or C,” and “A, B, and/or C” means A alone, B alone, Calone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, or A, B,and C together.

Unless otherwise indicated, all numbers expressing quantities,dimensions, conditions, and so forth used in the specification andclaims are to be understood as being modified in all instances by theterm “about.”

The term “a” or “an” entity, as used herein, refers to one or more ofthat entity. As such, the terms “a” (or “an”), “one or more” and “atleast one” can be used interchangeably herein.

The use of “including,” “comprising,” or “having” and variations thereofherein is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalentsthereof as well as additional items. Accordingly, the terms “including,”“comprising,” or “having” and variations thereof can be usedinterchangeably herein.

The Summary of the Invention is neither intended nor should it beconstrued as being representative of the full extent and scope of thepresent disclosure. The present disclosure is set forth in variouslevels of detail in the Summary as well as in the attached drawings andthe Detailed Description and no limitation as to the scope of theclaimed subject matter is intended by either the inclusion ornon-inclusion of elements, components, etc. in this Summary. Moreover,reference made herein to “the present invention” or aspects thereofshould be understood to mean certain embodiments of the presentdisclosure and should not necessarily be construed as limiting allembodiments to a particular description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute apart of the specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention andtogether with the general description of the invention given above andthe detailed description of the drawings given below, serve to explainthe principles of the invention.

FIG. 1 shows a prior art single-taper clamping joint;

FIG. 2 shows a prior art cleat clamping joint;

FIG. 3 is a front elevation view of one embodiment of a LVA with aclamping joint;

FIG. 4 is a front elevation view of a portion of the LVA showing theseparation ring and fairings separated from the LVA;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the portion of the LVA shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of one embodiment of an LVA andan annular plate;

FIG. 7A is a top plan view of half of the annular plate separated fromthe separation ring half;

FIGS. 7B-C show a bolt in the separation ring;

FIG. 8A is a partially exploded, cross-sectional view of one embodimentof a clamping joint taken along line 8-8 on FIG. 5;

FIG. 8B is a cross-sectional view of the tongue groove;

FIG. 8C is a cross-sectional view of the wedge block cutout;

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the separation ring of FIG. 8A andfurther showing a wedge block and associated locking hardware in anexploded position;

FIG. 10 is a perspective exploded view of one embodiment of a wedgeblock and bolt;

FIGS. 11A-B are assembled cross-sectional views of the clamping joint ofFIG. 9;

FIG. 12 is a perspective cross-sectional view of the clamping joint ofFIG. 8A showing one embodiment of the tongue and groove incross-section;

FIG. 13 is an elevation view of the inner portion the wedge block andgroove; and

FIG. 14 is an assembled cross-sectional view of an alternate embodimentof the clamping joint.

In certain instances, details that are not necessary for anunderstanding of the disclosure or that render other details difficultto perceive may have been omitted from the drawings. It should also beunderstood that in some instances, details may have been added, such asdetails relating to methods of construction, including for exampleconstruction lines and dimensions, to assist in explaining the methodsand structures of the preferred embodiments described herein. It shouldbe understood, of course, that the claimed invention is not necessarilylimited to the particular embodiments illustrated herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Those of skill in the art will recognize that the following descriptionis merely illustrative of the principles of the invention, which may beapplied in various ways to provide many different alternativeembodiments. This description is made for illustrating the generalprinciples of the teachings of this invention and is not meant to limitthe inventive concepts disclosed herein. The detailed description is tobe construed as exemplary only and does not describe every possibleembodiment since describing every possible embodiment would beimpractical, if not impossible. Numerous alternative embodiments couldbe implemented, using either current technology or technology developedafter the filing date of this patent, which would still fall within thescope of the claims.

Although many of the figures show a spacecraft and components thereof,the present invention is not limited to spacecraft. Embodiments of thepresent invention can, for example, be used with pipes, aircraft,terrestrial vehicles such as watercraft and land vehicles, or any othersituation where two components are interconnected together and theinterconnection experiences high loads or high pressures, regardless ofwhether the component pieces are to remain connected or are to beseparable.

Referring now to FIG. 3, which is a front elevation view of oneembodiment of an integrated launch vehicle with spacecraft or vehicle 20with a clamping joint. As shown, the vehicle 20 comprises a spacecraft22, a spacecraft aft ring 24, a launch vehicle adapter (“LVA”) (alsocalled the LVA forward ring) 26 proximate the aft portion of thespacecraft 22, a separation ring 28, and fairings 30. The vehicle 20also comprises an upper or second stage 32 including a rocket or booster(not shown). Note that the LVA 26, fairings 30, and struts 40, are allpart of the upper stage. The spacecraft 22 may include one or moresatellites and/or other delicate instrumentation, a crew module (e.g.,the crew space transportation “CST”), and/or a service module. Thevertical center line C_(L) of the integrated launch vehicle 20 is alsoshown in FIG. 3.

The fairings 30 separate or split along the fairing vertical separationplane 34. Two fairings 30 are shown, but those skilled in the art willrecognize that various numbers of fairings 30 may be used. Also,fairings may be located at other positions along the length of thevehicle 20. For example, payload fairings typically surround the payloadto protect it before and during launch until a predetermined point inthe launch sequence. However, the additional weight of the fairings 30is not needed once the spacecraft 22 reaches the predetermined altitude.At that predetermined point, the fairings 30 are commanded to separateand fall away from the vehicle 20. As shown, the fairings 30 separatefrom the other launch vehicle components along the fairing horizontalseparation plane 36. It should be appreciated that the invention mayalso be used with the separation of other fairings, including payloadfairings, from the integrated launch vehicle 20.

Note that the horizontal plane (Hp) discussed herein and shown in thedrawings is parallel to the fairing horizontal separation plane 36. Thefairing horizontal separation plane 36 is perpendicular to thelongitudinal centerline of the vehicle 20 (i.e., the vertical centerlinewhen the vehicle 20 is oriented in the launch position and sitting onthe launch pad). The radial direction of the vehicle 20 is perpendicularto and extends outwardly from the longitudinal centerline of theintegrated launch vehicle 20. Unless otherwise specified, the directionsand positions are relative to a spacecraft or launch vehicle in theupright position in the launch configuration. Thus, upper usually refersto the forward portion and lower usually refers to the aft portion.

Generally, a separation ring 28 is used to separate one part of thevehicle 20 from another part of the vehicle 20. As shown in FIG. 3, theLVA fairings 30 are interconnected to the separation ring 28 on a lowerend of the separation ring 28 and the LVA 26 is interconnected to theseparation ring 28 at the upper end of the separation ring 28. Here, theseparation ring 28 separates the fairings 30 from the upper stage 32 andLVA 26. In some embodiments, the separation ring 28 separates the upperstage 32 from the lower stage or booster.

FIGS. 4 and 5 show two fairings 30A, 30B separated along the fairingvertical separation plane 34. The separation ring is comprised of twoseparation ring halves 28A, 28B, which are each interconnected to anupper end 38 of a fairing 30A, 30B. The separation ring halves 28A, 28Bare not interconnected to one another in FIGS. 4 and 5. Further, the LVA26 is detached from the separation ring halves 28A, 28B along thefairing horizontal separation plane 36. Support struts 40 interconnectthe upper stage 32 to a lower portion of the LVA 26.

In one embodiment, compressed gas or explosive devices are used so that,when desired, decompression of the gas or explosion separates thefairings 30A, 30B from one another and away from the integrated launchvehicle 20 and LVA 26. The explosive devices may be detonatedautomatically when the vehicle 20 reaches a predetermined altitude orbased upon some other determination, or may be activated manually. Thefairings 30A, 30B are interconnected to one another along the verticalseparation line 34 where the vertical ends 42 of the fairings 30A, 30Bgenerally abut one another and are joined together via separation bolts.The fairings 30A, 30B include separation fittings 43 that interface whenthe fairings are joined. The separation bolts are charged such thatcontrolled charges can be used to separate the fairings 30A, 30B fromone another and eventually from the vehicle 20. In one embodiment, fourseparation bolts are used: (1) interconnecting a lower portion 44 of afirst vertical end 42 of the first fairing 30A to a lower portion 44 ofa first vertical end 42 of the second fairing 30B; (2) interconnectingan upper portion 38 of a first vertical end 42 of the first fairing 30Ato an upper portion 38 of a first vertical end 42 of the second fairing30B; (3) interconnecting a lower portion 44 of a second vertical end 42of the first fairing 30A to a lower portion 44 of a second vertical end42 of the second fairing 30B; and (4) interconnecting an upper portion38 of the second vertical end 42 of the first fairing 30A to an upperportion 38 of the second vertical end 42 of the second fairing 30B. Moreor fewer separation bolts can be used in alternate embodiments.Additionally, a thrusting joint 46 is positioned along each vertical end42 of the first fairing 30A or the second fairing 30B. The thrustingjoint 46 can include a plenum chamber or structure positioned along thevertical ends 42 of either the first or second fairing 30A, 30B suchthat during separation the plenum structure inflates to push thevertical ends 42 of the fairings 30A, 30B apart. The thrusting joint 46must be strong enough to overcome the frictional engagement between theseparation ring halves 28A, 28B and the LVA 26 and to fully clear allstructure aft on the integrated launch vehicle 20 (addressed in greaterdetail below). Shock waves and vibration generated by the controlledcharges and thrusting joint 46 disseminate through the body of thevehicle 20. These kinds of shockwaves and vibrations are exemplary ofthe events that embodiments of the present invention are designed toaddress.

FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of one embodiment of the launchvehicle adapter 26 and annular plate 48. The annular plate 48 is mountedto the lower portion of the LVA 26. As is shown in the enlarged portionof the annular plate 48, the outer perimeter edge of the annular plate48 is configured in the shape of a tongue 52 and forms part of theclamping system. The outer perimeter of the annular plate 48 alsoincludes bolt cutouts 54, which are described in detail below. Theannular plate 48 may be a single annular structure or may bemanufactured in segments or discrete lengths.

FIG. 7A is a top plan view of half of the annular plate 48 separatedfrom the LVA 26 and the separation ring half 28A. The other separationring half (28B, not shown) is a mirror image of the first separationring half 28A. The separation ring half 28A comprises a plurality ofbolt holes 70 to receive bolts (not shown) in a spaced orientationaround the separation ring half 28A proximate the outer edge of theseparation ring half 28A. The annular plate 48 comprises a plurality ofbolt cutouts 54 that align with the plurality of bolt holes 70 and boltsin the separation ring half 28A. Thus, as installed the bolts do notpass through the tongue 52 formed at the perimeter edge of the annularplate 48. Rather, the bolts are positioned in the bolt cutouts 54. Thenumber of bolt cutouts 54 and bolt holes 70 can vary, as the quantity ofbolt cutouts 54 shown in FIGS. 6 and 7A is one example only and forillustrative purposes only. FIGS. 7B-C show one bolt 72 in a bolt hole70 of the separation ring 28. FIG. 7B is an elevation view of the innersurface of the separation ring 28 and shows the tongue groove 74. FIG.7C is a cross-sectional view of the bolt 72 and separation ring 28. Asillustrated, the bolt 72 extends through the tongue groove 74. Thetongue groove 74 comprises a lower angled surface 76, a substantiallyvertical rear surface 78, and an upper angled surface 80, where theangles are measured relative to a horizontal plane Hp, which is parallelto the fairing horizontal separation plane 36. The angled upper surface80 and the angled lower surface 76 form an opening with an angle A1. Thehead of the bolt 72 is positioned on a washer 82 positioned on the upperouter (i.e., forward) surface 84 of the separation ring 28. Thecylindrical or body portion 86 of the bolt 72 extends through the upperflange 88 of the tongue groove 74 and the lower flange 90 of the tonguegroove 74. The bolt 72 is secured using a nut 92 and a washer 94positioned below or aft of the lower flange 90 of the tongue groove 74.The bolts 72 prevent the entire fairing and separation ring 28 fromrotating relative to the annular plate 48 and LVA forward ring 26. Thus,the bolts 72 prevent the separation ring 28 from rotating or deflectingin the hoop direction, where the hoop direction means rotation aroundthe ring. The bolts 72 and bolt cutouts 54 also help to properly clockand index the fairing 30 and separation ring half 28A onto the annularplate 48 and LVA 26. The bolt 72 is only reacting to the shear loads ofthe fairing and separation ring 28 on the tongue 52. Furthermore, thebolts 72 are not intended to apply preload to anything within the tongueand groove joint. The nuts 92 are installed on the bolts 72 with arelatively light torque and are only intended to aid in bolt retentionand to eliminate any loose parts from vibrating during ascent. The bolts72 are only loaded during flight and, then, they are only loaded inshear. In one embodiment, all of the bolt cutouts 54 in the annularplate 48 have the same shape (see, e.g., FIG. 6). In other embodiments,the shape of the bolt cutouts 54 vary around the annular plate 48 (see,e.g., FIG. 7A) to allow the radial jettison of the fairing 30 duringseparation. Thus, the shape of the bolt cutouts 54 shown in FIG. 7Areduce scraping and vibration during separation because the bolts 72 canslide in the radial jettison direction (substantially parallel to thedashed centerline in FIG. 7A) without contacting the annular plate 48.

FIG. 7C is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 7B taken along cut 7C-7C, butFIG. 7C shows the entire separation ring 28 and not just the separationring's upper portion with the groove 74. The separation ring 28 includesa structural rib 96 that extends inwardly from the inner surface of theseparation ring 28 and around all or a portion of the separation ring28. In alternative embodiments, the structural rib 96 is not continuousand only extends around portions of the inner surface of the separationring 28. In one embodiment, the upper flange 88 of the tongue groove 74is slightly wider in the horizontal direction than both the lower flange90 of the tongue groove 74 and the structural rib 96 of the groove,where the width is measured from the exterior surface of the separationring 28 to the vertical internal surface of the flange 88, 90 or rib 96.The lower flange 90 can be smaller than the upper flange 88 becausegravity and loading do not influence the lower flange's 90 engagementand a smaller lower flange 90 provides clearance to adjacent hardware onthe LVA 26. Additionally, the size of the rib 96 is determined by thedesired separation ring stiffness and strength. The upper flange 88 issized to provide tongue 52 and groove 74 engagement (or overlap betweenparts) to ensure the fairing 30 will never inadvertently create a radialgap between the groove 74 and the mating tongue 52. Thus, the upperflange 88 extends toward the center of the separation ring 28 fartherthan the lower flange 90 of the tongue groove 74 and farther than thestructural rib 96.

FIG. 8A is a partially exploded, cross-sectional view of the sectionalong cut 8-8 of FIG. 5 and shows one embodiment of a clamping jointsystem. The clamping joint system includes a separation ring 28 with agroove 74 (also called a tongue groove), an annular plate 48 (alsocalled a closeout plate) with a tongue 52 extending around at least aportion of the outer circumference of the annular plate 48, and aplurality of wedge blocks 100. The LVA 26 is interconnected to an uppersurface of the annular plate 48 via bolts or other known interconnectionmeans. Alternatively, the LVA 26 and the annular plate 48 could be onepiece that is forged as one piece. The upper end 38 of the fairing 30 isinterconnected to the lower portion of the separation ring 28 via aplurality of bolts 102. In FIG. 8A, the fairing 30 and separation ring28 are shown separated slightly laterally or radially from the LVA 26and annular plate 48.

The tongue groove 74 is formed by an upper flange 88 and a lower flange90 and is sized to receive the tongue 52. A series of spaced-apartcutouts 104 (also called wedge block cutouts, pockets, or wedge blockgrooves) are formed in the lower flange 90 of the tongue groove 74 forreceiving wedge blocks 100. Each cutout 104 receives one wedge block100. A portion of one such cutout 104 is shown in cross-section in FIGS.8A, 8C and 9. Thus, the groove 74 actually has two cross sections: afirst cross-sectional shape shown in FIG. 8B with an opening 74 formingan angle A1 to accommodate the tongue 52 alone, and a secondcross-sectional shape shown in FIG. 8C with an opening 104 forming anangle A2 to accommodate the wedge block 100 and the tongue 52. FIG. 7Ashows the positions of multiple wedge blocks 100 relative to the annularplate 48, assuming the tongue 52 has been inserted into the groove 74 ofthe separation ring half 28A. One wedge block 100 is centrally locatedbetween each pair of bolt cutouts 54 (shown in FIGS. 6 and 7A) in orderto apply a uniform clamping pressure and remove clearances within thetongue and groove interface that would allow relative movement betweenthe separation ring 28 and the tongue 52. Because the annular plate 48is detached from the separation ring half 28A in FIG. 7A, theas-assembled positions of the wedge blocks 100 are shown in phantomlines on the annular plate 48. In the embodiment shown, ten wedge blocks100 are used per separation ring half 28A. In one embodiment, theseparation ring 28 comprises between about 10 and about 50 wedge blockcutouts 104. In a preferred embodiment, the separation ring 28 comprisesbetween about 15 and about 40 wedge block cutouts 104. In a morepreferred embodiment, the separation ring 28 comprises about 24 wedgeblock cutouts 104; thus, 12 wedge blocks 100 are used per separationring half 28A and 28B. The number of cutouts 104 will be generallyproportional to the length of the groove 74. In the context of agenerally cylindrical spacecraft, this would be the circumferentiallength of groove 74. Typically, but not always, the wedge blocks 100 areequally spaced apart. The launch vehicle, LVA 26, and spacecraftdesigns, configurations, constructions, and component loads are factorsrelevant to the locations and sites of the wedge blocks 100.

In some embodiments, the tongue 52 of the annular plate 48 extendsaround the entire perimeter of the annular plate 48. In otherembodiments, one example of which is FIG. 7A, the tongue 52 only extendsaround discrete portions or segments of the perimeter of the annularplate 48. In the embodiment of FIG. 8A, the tongue 52 is symmetricalrelative to a horizontal plane and is shaped like an arrowhead, meaningthat the distal end of the tongue 52 is thinner than the proximalportion of the tongue 52 proximate to the annular plate 48, thus formingan arrowhead shape. Alternatively, the tongue 52 could be shapeddifferently, e.g., asymmetric, have a more square-shaped end, or a morecircular-shaped end, etc., as long as neither side of the tongue 52 isparallel to the fairing horizontal separation plane 36. Additionally,the proximal portion of the tongue 52 (i.e., the portion proximate theannular plate 48) is cross-sectionally wider than the thickness of theannular plate 48. However, in alternative embodiments, the annular plate48 is the same thickness or height as the thickest portion of the tongue52. In alternative embodiments, the plate 48 can be thicker than thetongue 52.

In FIG. 8A, a wedge block 100 is shown positioned in a partial wedgeblock cutout 104 and specifically is positioned in the bottom of thewedge block cutout 104 such that the flange-interfacing surface 106(also called the lower surface when shown in the orientation of FIGS.8A-13) of the wedge block 100 is resting on the upper surface 108 of thewedge block cutout 104. Additionally, the bolt 110 holding the wedgeblock 100 in position can be seen. As illustrated, the separation ring28 has not been mounted to the LVA 26 such that the tongue 52 is not yetpositioned in the groove 74.

FIG. 9 is an exploded cross-sectional view of the separation ring 28,the wedge block 100, and the locking hardware associated with the wedgeblock 100. The portions of the clamping joint system shown include thetongue groove 74 in the separation ring 28, a wedge block 100, a wedgeblock cutout 104, a bolt 110, a cylindrical insert (also called abushing or an embed) 120, a washer 122, and a nut 124. A bolt 72 isshown extending through the lower flange 90 of the tongue groove 74. Thebolt 72 is secured using a washer 94 and a nut 92. In some embodiments,the insert 120 has a threaded inner diameter/surface.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the angle of thelower surface 76 of the tongue groove 74 relative to a horizontal planeHp is between about 5 degrees and about 25 degrees. In a preferredembodiment, the angle of the lower surface 76 of the tongue groove 74relative to a horizontal plane Hp is between about 10 degrees and about20 degrees. In a more preferred embodiment, the angle of the lowersurface 76 of the tongue groove 74 relative to a horizontal plane Hp isabout 15 degrees. According to one embodiment of the present invention,the angle of the upper surface 80 of the tongue groove 74 relative to ahorizontal plane Hp is between about 5 degrees and about 25 degrees. Ina preferred embodiment, the angle of the upper surface 80 of the tonguegroove 74 relative to a horizontal plane Hp is between about 10 degreesand about 20 degrees. In a more preferred embodiment, the angle of theupper surface 80 of the tongue groove 74 relative to a horizontal planeHp is about 15 degrees. In one embodiment, the angle A1 between theupper surface 80 and the lower surface 76 of the tongue groove 74 isbetween about 15 degrees and about 45 degrees. In a preferredembodiment, the angle A1 is between about 25 degrees and about 35degrees. In a more preferred embodiment, the angle A1 is about 30degrees. The upper surface 108 of the wedge block cutout 104 issubstantially flat and substantially parallel to the horizontal planeHp. The inner surface 126 of the wedge block cutout 104 is substantiallyvertical (i.e., perpendicular to the horizontal plane Hp). The upper(i.e., forward) surface 84 of the upper flange 88 of the tongue groove74 is also substantially flat and substantially parallel to thehorizontal plane Hp.

The bolt 110 includes a head 128 on one end interconnected to acylindrical portion 130 terminating in a second end 132 opposite thehead 128. The head 128 may be circular, four-sided, five-sided shape,six-sided shape (i.e., be hexagonal or be a hex bolt), or any othershape known or used in the art. The upper surface of the head 128 may beflat, rounded (i.e., dome shaped), oval shaped, or pan shaped (i.e.,have a slightly rounded head with short vertical sides). The undersideof the head 128 proximate the cylindrical portion 130 may be flat orangled (i.e., countersunk). Alternatively, bolt 110 may not use a head128, but could use a simple shaft snap ring or spring clip forretention. The second end 132 of the bolt 110 includes a socket orrecess 134. The socket or recess 134 may have a square shape, otherfour-sided shape, five-sided shape, six-sided shape (i.e., be an Allendrive or hex socket), or any other shape known or used in the art. Inalternative embodiments, the second end 132 of the bolt 110 can have acut or indentation (i.e., drive type) similar to a Phillips, Frearson,slotted, combination of Phillips and slotted, one-way, square, or stardrive type. The exterior of the cylindrical portion 130 is threadedalong at least a portion of its length and preferably along most of itslength. From an assembly standpoint, the head 128 of the bolt 110 isinserted into a slot (also called a cutout) 136 in the wedge block 100.The cylindrical portion 130 of the bolt 110 is inserted through a boreor hole 138 positioned proximate the wedge block cutout 104 in theseparation ring 28. In one embodiment, an embed or insert 120 ispositioned in the bore or hole 138 in the separation ring 28. The insert120 includes a bore or hole 140 that aligns with the bore 138 in theseparation ring 28. A nut 124 is threaded on the end of the threadedcylindrical portion 130 of the bolt 110 that extends out of the insert120. A washer 122 is typically positioned between the separation ring 28outer surface 142 and the nut 124. Alternatively, the nut 124 could be aflange nut and have the washer built into the nut. The recess or slot134 in the second end 132 of the bolt 110 is used to tighten and/or movethe bolt 110 from an exterior surface of the separation ring 28. Awrench is used to rotate the nut 124 while the bolt 110 is heldstationary by inserting an appropriately configured tool, such as anAllen wrench, into the recess 134 in the second end 132 of the bolt 110.The nut 124 can be any nut known in the art, including a hex nut, jamnut, wing nut, cap nut, acorn nut, tee nut, square nut, prevailingtorque lock nut (i.e., a non-reversible lock nut), k-lock or kep nut,two-way reversible lock nut, coupling nut, slotted nut, or castle nut.The nut 124 can be made of metal, ceramic, plastic, or any othermaterial known in the art. Additionally, the nut 124 can include aninsert such as a nylon insert to prevent backing off (i.e., be a Nylocknut). Thus, the wedge block 100 is pulled into the wedge block cutout104 and is positioned by rotating the bolt 110 relative to the nut 124.One novel aspect of embodiments of the present invention is that thebolts 110 used with the wedge blocks 100 are positioned parallel to thefairing horizontal separation plane 36 (i.e., horizontally in a launchconfiguration), rather than perpendicular to the fairing horizontalseparation plane 36 (i.e., vertically in a launch configuration), andare accessible from the exterior of the spacecraft or vehicle 10 evenwhen used in embodiments with the tongue and groove interface at theforward end of the fairings.

With reference to FIGS. 8A-11B, the wedge block 100, when viewed incross section, has a substantially vertical side along theinwardly-oriented end surface 150; a substantially vertical side alongthe outwardly-oriented end surface 152 positioned closest to theexterior of the separation ring 28 or away from the center point of theseparation ring 28; a substantially horizontal side along the lowersurface 106; a downwardly-angled side along the tongue-interfacingsurface 154 (also called the upper surface when positioned as shown inFIGS. 8A-13); two trapezoidal, substantially vertical sides 156; and acutout 136. The edges 158 of the wedge block 100 may be rounded or sharpdepending on the particular embodiment. The upper surface 154 of thewedge block 100 is positioned at an angle relative to a horizontal planeHp and the angle of the upper surface 154 is substantially the sameangle as the downwardly angled lower surface 76 of the tongue groove 74.Thus, the lower surface 159 of the tongue 52 interfaces relativelyevenly with the downwardly angled lower surface 76 of the tongue groove74 and the upper surface 154 of the wedge block 100. According to oneembodiment of the present invention, the angle of the upper surface 154of the wedge block 100 relative to a horizontal plane Hp is betweenabout 5 degrees and about 25 degrees. In a preferred embodiment, theangle of the upper surface 154 of the wedge block 100 relative to ahorizontal plane Hp is between about 10 degrees and about 20 degrees. Ina more preferred embodiment, the angle of the upper surface 154 of thewedge block 100 relative to a horizontal plane Hp is about 15 degrees.The lower surface 106 of the wedge block 100 is substantially horizontalsuch that it rests on the substantially horizontal upper surface 108 ofthe wedge block groove 104.

The cutout 136 of the wedge block 100 can be any shape and can extendfrom either the upper surface 154 or the lower surface 106 to aninterior portion of the wedge block 100. The cutout 136 is shaped toaccommodate the head 128 of the bolt 110 and extends to theoutwardly-oriented surface 152 of the wedge block 100. The portion ofthe cutout 136 extending to the outwardly-oriented surface 152 must besized to accommodate the cylindrical portion 130 of the bolt 110. In theembodiment shown, the portion of the cutout 136 in theoutwardly-oriented surface 152 has a rounded lower portion 160 toaccommodate the cylindrical portion 130 of the bolt 110 and has twosubstantially vertical sides 162 extending from the rounded lowerportion 160 to the upper surface 154 such that the bolt 110 can be sliddown into the cutout 136. When viewed from above (see FIGS. 10 and 12for alternative views), the cutout 136 has a T-shape with a wide portion164 to accommodate the head 128 of the bolt 110 and a thin portion 166to accommodate the cylindrical portion 130 of the bolt 110.

FIG. 11A is a cross-sectional view of the clamping joint of FIG. 9 whenthe clamping joint is in an initial assembled position. The annularplate 48 is connected to the LVA 26. The tongue 52 extends from theperimeter of the annular plate 48 and is positioned in the groove 74. Inthis initial assembled position, the wedge block 100 is snuglypositioned in the cutout 104 and the outwardly-oriented surface 152 ofthe wedge block 100 is positioned as close to the inner surface 126 ofthe wedge block cutout 104. In one embodiment, the tongue 52, groove 74,and wedge blocks 100 are designed such that the wedge blocks 100 willnever contact the tongue 52 when the wedge blocks 100 are fullyretracted into the wedge block pockets 104. The substantially horizontalside along the lower surface 106 of the wedge block 100 is positionedadjacent to and resting on the upper surface 108 of the cutout 104. Thedownwardly-angled side along the upper surface 154 of the wedge block100 is positioned proximate to and perhaps slightly spaced from thelower surface 159 of the tongue 52 to form a gap 180. Depending ontolerance and assembly, these two surfaces 154, 159 may be abutting.Additionally, depending on tolerance and assembly, there may be a gap186 between the upper surface 182 of the tongue 52 and the upper surface80 of the tongue groove 74, as is shown in the enlarged portion. Thewedge blocks 100 help to remove this gap 186. In any completeconfiguration, both conditions may be present. Also depending ontolerance and assembly, there may be a gap between the upper surface 108of the wedge block cutout 104 and the lower surface 106 of the wedgeblock 100. In any complete configuration, two or three of theseconditions may be present.

In the illustrated embodiment, the tongue 52 has an arrow head shapewith a rounded point or distal end. The arrow head of the tongue 52forms an angle A3 between the upper surface 182 and lower surface 159 ofthe tongue 52. Angle A3 corresponds to and compliments angle A1 of thetongue groove 74. Angle A3 is between about 15 degrees and 50 degrees inone embodiment. In a preferred embodiment, angle A3 is between about 25degrees and 35 degrees. In a more preferred embodiment, angle A3 isabout 30 degrees. The upper surface 182 of the tongue 52 is positionedadjacent to the upper surface 80 of the tongue groove 74.

The bolt 110 is securely positioned with its head 128 in the cutout 136of the wedge block 100 and its cylindrical portion 130 extending throughthe bore 140 of the insert 120, through the bore of the washer 122, andthrough the bore of the nut 124. The nut 124 is interconnected to thecylindrical portion 130 of the bolt 110. In the position shown in FIG.11A, the wedge block 100 cannot move radially outwardly or inwardlybecause the bolt 110 and the nut 124 prevent the wedge block 100 frommoving in a radial direction. However, the wedge block 100 can be movedin a radial direction by turning the bolt 110 relative to a stationarynut 124. In this manner, the wedge block 100 is advanced radiallyinwardly to remove the gap 180 and force the upper surface 182 of thetongue 52 into engagement with the upper surface 80 of the groove 74.Adjusting all of the wedge blocks 100 in this manner tightens theclamping joint as desired. It should be appreciated that the adjustmentis made without any need to access the tongue and groove interface oraccess any structures or components interior of the fairing.

FIG. 11B is the same as FIG. 11A except that FIG. 11B shows the tongueand groove joint after the joint has been tightened by sliding the wedgeblock 100 radially inwardly into its final position. In FIG. 11B, thewedge block 100 has been moved to the left (i.e., inwardly toward thecenter of the ring 28 or center of the integrated launch vehicle 20).Thus, now there is a gap 184 between the outwardly-oriented surface 152of the wedge block 100 and the inner surface 126 of the wedge blockcutout 104. Additionally, there is no longer a gap (180 in FIG. 11A)between the upper surface 154 of the wedge block 100 and the lowersurface 159 of the tongue 52. By moving the wedge block 100 inwardly,the upper surface 154 of the wedge block 100 engages the lower surface159 of the tongue 52. As the wedge block 100 is pushed inwardly, theupper surface 154 of the wedge block 100 pushes on the lower surface 159of the tongue 52, which puts and inwardly-oriented and upwardly-orientedforce on the tongue 52. The force by the wedge block 100 also pushes thetongue 52 closer to the upper surface 80 of the tongue groove 74. Thus,in flight the gap between the lower surface 159 of the tongue 52 and thelower surface 76 of the groove 74 is reduced because in flight, nominalloads (e.g., gravity and flight acceleration) will always close a gap onthe upper surfaces 182, 80. Additionally, the rattle space availablebetween the tongue 52 and groove 74 is reduced to prevent the fairing 30from vibrating around. Further adjustment clamps the tongue 52 relativeto the groove 74. Accordingly, the separation ring 28 is held in placevia the wedge blocks 100.

In various embodiments, the upper surface 182 of the tongue 52 isoriented at substantially the same angle as the upper angled surface 80of the tongue groove 74 and the lower surface 159 of the tongue 52 isoriented at substantially the same angle as the lower angled surface 76of the tongue groove 74. Additionally, in the portions of the jointwhere the tongue 52 is positioned above and adjacent to a wedge block100, the lower surface 159 of the tongue 52 is positioned adjacent tothe upper angled surface 154 of the wedge block 100 and, thus, the lowersurface 159 of the tongue 52 is oriented at substantially the same angleas the upper angled surface 154 of the wedge block 100. Thus, the parts52, 74 are toleranced and machined in a manner to minimize thedifferences in the angles of the parts in order to maximize the contactarea between the lower surface 76 of the tongue 52 and the upper surface154 of the wedge block 100. Further, the lower surface 106 of the wedgeblock 100 is positioned adjacent to and rests on the upper surface 108of the wedge block cutout 104. Thus, the lower surface 106 of the wedgeblock 100 is oriented at substantially the same angle as the uppersurface 108 of the wedge block cutout 104.

FIG. 12 is a perspective cross-sectional view of the clamping joint ofFIG. 8A, but taken at a slightly different cut location than FIG. 8A,shown in the final position. Here, the entire wedge block 100 and wedgeblock cutout 104 are visible and the cross-section of the portion of thegroove 74 without the wedge block 100 or cutout 104 is visible, similarto FIG. 8B. The tongue groove 74 has an upper interior surface 80 thatis angled upwardly and a lower interior surface 76 that is angleddownwardly. The portion of the lower flange 90 that forms the wedgeblock cutout 104 is positioned lower than the portion of the lowerflange 90 without the wedge block cutout 104. Thus, the lower flange 90dips downwardly to create the wedge block cutout 104 and accommodate thewedge block 100. The inwardly-oriented surface 150 of the wedge block100 is visible in FIG. 12.

Note that the angle A2 (shown in FIG. 8C) is related to and varies withthe angle A1, the angle of the upper surface 80 of the tongue groove 74,and the angle of the upper surface 108 of the wedge block cutout 104.For example, if the lower surface 108 of the wedge block cutout 104remains substantially parallel to the horizontal plane Hp but the angleof the upper surface 80 of the tongue groove 74 is increased ordecreased relative to the horizontal plane Hp, then the angle A2 willincrease or decrease, respectively. Additionally, if the angle A1 isincreased, such as by increasing both the angles of the upper surface 80and the lower surface 76 of the tongue groove 74, then the angle A2 willincrease. The opposite is also true: if the angle A1 is decreased, suchas by decreasing both the angles of the upper surface 80 and the lowersurface 76 of the tongue groove 74, then the angle A2 will decrease.However, if the angle A1 is increased by only increasing the angle ofthe lower surface 76 of the tongue groove 74 relative to the horizontalplane Hp, then the angle A2 will not change unless the upper surface 108of the wedge block cutout 104 is also changed. Further, the angle A2will change if the upper surface 108 of the wedge block cutout 104 ispositioned at an angle relative to the horizontal plane Hp. In sum, ifthe angle A2 is increased, then the angle A1 will change in one of thefollowing ways: (1) angle A1 will increase symmetrically because theangles of the upper surface 80 and the lower surface 76 of the tonguegroove 74 will increase symmetrically relative to the horizontal planeHp; (2) angle A1 will increase asymmetrically because the angle of theupper surface 80 of the tongue groove 74 will increase but the angle ofthe lower surface 76 of the tongue groove 74 will not increase relativeto the horizontal plane Hp; or (3) angle A1 will remain the same (i.e.,the same amount of degrees) but the angle A1 will be asymmetricalrelative to the horizontal plane Hp because the angle of the uppersurface 80 of the tongue groove 74 will increase and the angle of thelower surface 76 of the tongue groove 74 will decrease the same amountthe upper surface 80 increases. In scenarios (1) and (3), the angle ofthe upper surface 154 of the wedge block 100 would also have to changeto align with the angle of the lower surface 76 of the tongue groove 74.

FIG. 13 is an elevation view of the inner portion of the clamping jointand wedge block 100 in the absence of a tongue. The view in FIG. 13 isfrom within the vehicle 20 and looking outward toward the exterior ofthe vehicle 20 or spacecraft 22. The interior surface of the separationring 28 is shown, including the tongue groove 74, the upper flange 88 ofthe tongue groove 74, the lower flange 90 of the tongue groove 74, andthe wedge block cutout 104. The groove 74 includes an upper surface 80,a rear surface 78, and a lower surface 76. The wedge block 100 ispositioned in the wedge block cutout 104. The inwardly-oriented surface150 and the upper surface 154 of the wedge block 100 are visible. Aportion of the cutout 136 in the wedge block 100 is shown. The thinportion 166 of the cutout 136 has a length L1 and the wide portion 164of the cutout 136 has a length L2. In one embodiment, the length L1 ofthe thin portion 166 of the cutout 136 is between about 0.100 inches andabout 0.75 inches. In a preferred embodiment, the length L1 of the thinportion 166 is between about 0.200 inches and about 0.500 inches. In amore preferred embodiment, the length L1 of the thin portion 166 isabout 0.300 inches. In one embodiment, the length L2 of the wide portion164 of the cutout 136 is between about 0.100 inches and about 0.75inches. In a preferred embodiment, the length L2 of the wide portion 164is between about 0.250 inches and about 0.550 inches. In a morepreferred embodiment, the length L2 of the wide portion 164 is about0.405 inches. These dimensions are constrained by the size and loads ofthe specific LVA design. Thus, the design could be scaled up or down insize depending upon the size and load requirements of launch vehicle.

Fastening devices or tightening devices other than bolts 110, 72, 102can be used in alternative embodiments of the present invention. Forexample, HI-LOK™ pins could be used rather than bolts 110, 72, 102. Insome embodiments, one or more bolts 110, 72, 102 are made of super-alloyMP35N. In various embodiments, an embed, bushing, or insert 120 is usedin the bore or hole 138 of the separation ring 28 proximate the wedgeblock cutout 104. The insert 120 may be any material known in the art,and specifically may be steel, CRES, or A286 CRES. The purpose of theinsert 120 is to provide structural attachment of bolt 110 to separationring 28. The insert 120 also provides the threaded interface for thethreaded bolt 110. The insert 120 may be threaded or have an alternativestructural engagement to the bolt 110. For example, the insert may beeliminated and each hole tapped directly in the separation ring.

As shown in FIG. 14, in some embodiments, the wedge blocks 100 and wedgeblock cutouts 104 may be positioned at an upper or top portion of thetongue groove 74, meaning positioned in the upper flange of the tonguegroove 74. Thus, the flange-interfacing surface 106 of the wedge block100 is positioned adjacent to the upper surface 108 of the wedge blockcutout 104 and the wedge block 100 is positioned above the tongue 52such that the tongue-interfacing surface 154 of the wedge block 100 ispositioned adjacent to the upper surface 182 of the tongue 52.Additionally, depending on tolerance and assembly, there may be a gap186 between the lower surface 159 of the tongue 52 and the lower surface76 of the tongue groove 74, as is shown in the enlarged portion. Thewedge blocks 100 help to remove this gap 186. Also depending ontolerance and assembly, there may be a gap between the upper surface 108of the wedge block cutout 104 and the lower surface 106 of the wedgeblock 100. In any complete configuration, both conditions may bepresent.

In various embodiments, the separation ring 28 can be any knownmaterial, including metal, ceramic, plastic, composite material, orother material known in the art. In one embodiment, the separation ring28 is aluminum or an aluminum alloy. In some embodiments, the separationring 28 has a coating to reduce corrosion and/or reduce friction (e.g.,Teflon®). In various embodiments, the wedge block 100 is a hardermaterial than the separation ring 28. In one embodiment, the wedge block100 is stainless steel, a high-strength non-metallic material, or A286CRES. The wedge block may also be coated to reduce corrosion and/orreduce friction, e.g., coated with Teflon®, molybdenum disulfide,dicronite, etc. Alternatively, the wedge block 100 could be rubber orother elastic material.

Various embodiments comprise various numbers of wedge blocks 100. Thenumber of wedge blocks 100 used in any aerospace embodiment is dependenton the diameter of the separation ring 28, the vibration frequency ofthe fairing, and the loads experienced by the separation ring 28.Alternative embodiments used with other vehicles, pipes, or machineswill have different factors that determine the number of wedge blocks100 required to reduce vibration and/or shock experienced by the system.The goal is to spread the load over all of the wedge blocks 100, wherethe load includes the vibration and aerodynamic loads, whileestablishing a zero gap fit at the horizontal separation plane andremoving tongue and groove clearances.

In some embodiments, wedge block cutouts and wedge blocks may bepositioned on a lower or bottom portion of the tongue groove (as shownin FIGS. 8A-13) while other wedge block cutouts and wedge blocks may bepositioned on an upper or top surface of the tongue groove, meaningpositioned in the upper flange of the tongue groove (as shown in FIG.14). In additional or alternative embodiments, two or more wedge blockscan be inserted in each wedge block cutout.

The various embodiments of methods, devices, and systems used tointerconnect or join two components under high loads and possible shockshave been described herein in detail. Such interconnection or jointsystems and devices are capable of being designed and constructed usingother methods and of being practiced or of being carried out in variousways as will be readily understood by those of skill in the art uponreview of the present disclosure. Such modifications and alterations ofthose embodiments as will occur to those skilled in the art upon reviewof the present disclosure are within the scope and spirit of the claimedinvention, as set forth in the following claims. In addition, it is tobe understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is forthe purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.

What is claimed is:
 1. An interconnection apparatus comprising: a firstcomponent comprising: an inner surface; an outer surface spaced from theinner surface; a first flange having an inner surface and extending fromthe inner surface of the first component; a second flange having aninner surface and extending from the first component in the samedirection as the first flange, the second flange aligned with and spacedfrom the first flange, wherein the inner surface of the first flange andthe inner surface of the second flange define a tongue groove; aplurality of wedge block cutouts in the first flange, the second flange,or both; and an aperture associated with each wedge block cutout andextending from the inner surface of the first component through theouter surface of the first component; a second component comprising anouter edge and a tongue portion extending along at least a portion ofthe outer edge, wherein the tongue portion has a first surface and asecond surface oriented at an acute angle relative to the first surfaceof the tongue portion; and a plurality of tensioning apparatuses eachcomprising: a wedge block associated with each wedge block cutout, thewedge block having a first surface and a second surface; and a fasteningdevice having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end isconnected to the wedge block and the second end extends through theaperture associated with the wedge block cutout in the first component;and wherein when the tongue portion is positioned in the tongue groovethe first surface of the tongue portion is aligned with the innersurface of the first flange, the second surface of the tongue portion isaligned with the inner surface of the second flange, and when the wedgeblock cutout is formed in the first flange the first surface of thewedge block is aligned with the first surface of the tongue portion, andwhen the wedge block cutout is formed in the second flange the firstsurface of the wedge block is aligned with the second surface of thetongue portion.
 2. The interconnection apparatus of claim 1, wherein thefirst component is a separation ring of a launch vehicle.
 3. Theinterconnection apparatus of claim 2, wherein the second component is atleast one of an annular plate, a closeout section, a launch vehicleadapter, payload adapter, spacecraft, and a payload.
 4. Theinterconnection apparatus of claim 1, wherein the fastening device ofthe tensioning apparatus is a bolt, and wherein the bolt comprises afirst end, a second end opposite the first end, and a body portionpositioned between the first end and the second end, and wherein thefirst end of the bolt is attached to the wedge block.
 5. Theinterconnection apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second component is acircular plate and the tongue portion extends from at least portions ofan outer edge of the circular plate.
 6. The interconnection apparatus ofclaim 1, wherein the tongue portion has cutouts to receive positioningbolts.
 7. The interconnection apparatus of claim 1, wherein the tonguegroove has an angle of between about 25 degrees and about 35 degrees andthe acute angle of the tongue portion is between about 25 degrees andabout 35 degrees.
 8. The interconnection apparatus of claim 2, furthercomprising a fairing attached to the first component.
 9. Theinterconnection apparatus of claim 1, wherein when the interconnectionapparatus is in a final interconnected position the first surface of thewedge block is in direct contact with the second surface of the tongueportion.
 10. A system for releasably interconnecting multiplecomponents, comprising: a ring comprising: a first flange extendinginwardly around at least a portion of the ring; a second flangeextending inwardly around at least a portion of the ring and spaced fromthe first flange to define a groove between the first and secondflanges; and a plurality of wedge block cutouts in the first flange,second flange, or in both the first and second flanges and spaced aroundat least a portion of the ring; a plate having a circular perimeter anda tongue portion extending around at least a portion of the perimeter,wherein the tongue portion has an upper surface and a lower surfaceoriented at an acute angle relative to the upper surface; and aplurality of tensioning apparatuses, wherein at least one tensioningapparatus is positioned in each wedge block cutout, each tensioningapparatus comprising: a wedge block; and a fastening device having afirst end and a second end, wherein the first end is positioned in thewedge block and the second end extends through the ring; and wherein theposition of the wedge block is adjustable from an exterior of the ring.11. The system for interconnecting multiple components of claim 10,wherein the fastening device is configured to move a wedge blockradially inward relative to the ring to clamp at least a portion of thetongue portion between a surface of the wedge block and a portion of thefirst flange.
 12. The system for interconnecting multiple components ofclaim 10, wherein the ring is a separation ring of a launch vehicle. 13.The system for interconnecting two components of claim 10, wherein thefastening device comprises a bolt and a nut, wherein the bolt comprisesa first end, the first end interconnected to the wedge block, a secondend opposite the first end, and a body portion positioned between thefirst end and the second end, the body portion extending through thering such that the second end of the bolt is on an opposite side of thering from the first end of the bolt, and wherein the nut isinterconnected to the second end of the bolt.
 14. The system forinterconnecting multiple components of claim 10, wherein the groove hasan angle of between about 25 degrees and about 35 degrees and the acuteangle of the tongue portion is between about 25 degrees and about 35degrees.
 15. A method for interconnecting two components, comprising:providing: a first component comprising an inner surface and an outersurface, a tongue groove and a wedge block groove extending from theinner surface, wherein the tongue groove defines a first acute angle andthe wedge block groove defines a second acute angle different from thefirst acute angle; a second component having a first edge, the firstedge comprising a first surface and a second surface that define atongue, wherein the second surface is oriented relative to the firstsurface at a third acute angle, and wherein the first and third acuteangles are substantially the same; a wedge block comprising a firstsurface and a second surface spaced from the first surface, wherein thefirst surface is oriented at a fourth acute angle relative to the secondsurface; and a fastening device; positioning the wedge block in thewedge block groove; positioning the fastening device such that it isinterconnected with the wedge block and accessible from the outersurface of the first component; inserting the tongue into the tonguegroove; inserting the tongue into the wedge block groove such that thefirst surface of the wedge block is proximate the second surface of thetongue; and repositioning the wedge block laterally away from the innersurface of the first component.
 16. The method for interconnecting twocomponents of claim 15, wherein repositioning the wedge block comprisessliding the second surface of the wedge block along a surface of thewedge block groove.
 17. The method for interconnecting two components ofclaim 15, wherein repositioning the wedge block comprises removing afirst gap between the second surface of the tongue and the first surfaceof the wedge block.
 18. The method for interconnecting two components ofclaim 17, wherein repositioning the wedge block comprises removing asecond gap between the first surface of the tongue and a surface of thetongue groove.
 19. The method for interconnecting two components ofclaim 15, wherein repositioning the wedge block comprises removing a gapbetween at least one of: the second surface of the tongue and the firstsurface of the wedge block, the first surface of the tongue and asurface of the tongue groove, and the second surface of the wedge blockand a surface of the wedge block groove.
 20. The method forinterconnecting two components of claim 15, wherein the first componentis semicircular and the fastening device applies radial pressure on thewedge block.
 21. The method for interconnecting two components of claim19, wherein repositioning the wedge block comprising adjusting thefastening device from the outer surface of the first component.